First, The Bride Next stop, The Emperor
by Iamwritergirl
Summary: "Back from Solitude, I see?" She whispered from under her mask. "Yes. She's dead." I muttered. "Very good." "My next contract?" "The Emperor." . . . Karlia signed up to the dark brotherhood, unsuspecting how big her place in that organisation would be. Can she deal with the onlooking burden of being Skyrim's most wanted murderor?
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers**** for certain Companions and Dark Brotherhood quests. BTW Arnbjorn didn't die after Cicero's mad rampage in this story. I'm sorry It's so short.**

I gripped my bow and pulled another arrow from my quiver._ Daedra-hugging petty hunt's woman _my arse. I stopped and looked, seeing if any of those Silverhand bastards were following us. I wasn't joining Hircine today.

"Karlia, Hurry up!" Aela yelled, sending two arrows straight into the chest of a female Silverhand pinning her to a tree, whilst running. In the distance, the lights of Honningbrew meadery glimmered, one figure stood clear.

"Aela." I said, running my plan through in my head. "At the two bridges next to Honningbrew, yell for a guard and get to Jorrvaskr as quickly as you can." I grunted, shooting an arrow into the leg of another Silverhand. I glanced at the figure, his head nodding slightly. _Sithis bless that damned horse. I grinned and _Aela glared at me, her eyes still hinting angry tears.

"What?" She said, with mad rage. "And what are you going to do? Run away? How will we explain Skjor's murder?" She fumed, running faster. A guard was just in sight.

"I need to go somewhere and finish something! Aela, I'll be back!" I grunted, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the way of an arrow. We got to the bridge, us facing Honningbrew and our home, Whiterun, to the east.

"Where are you going this time?" She snapped angrily, glaring at me. She pulled me to a stand still. I glanced back, across the bridge. Four silver hand were throwing themselves at the two guards patrolling this road. "Running away to the Thalmor? Or worse?" She yelled. I yanked myself out of her vice tight grip. "You're the only damn High elf I could trust, Karlia!" She snapped. I frowned and laughed.

"It's already 'could' is it?" I snapped and walked away from her, to Shadowmere. "Astrid send ya, hmm?" I whispered into his ear after mounting him swiftly and looking at Aela, one last time. I quickly turned and headed toward Falkreath. I had a lot of explaining to do.


	2. Chapter 2

I quickly jogged down the small set of stairs to the map room.I walked through the arched gap in the stone and stopped in front of Astrid.

"Back from your last contract, I see?" She whispered from under her mask. She was, as usual, standing at her map table in the first room you came to in the Sanctuary. We usually affectionately called it the 'Grumpy room' because Arnbjorn, Astrid and on occasion, Nazir located here.

"Yes. They're dead." I muttered, glaring.

"Very good." She purred, tapping her nails on the stone table, her hand drifting closer to mine slowly.

"My next contract?" I snarled. I wasn't putting up with any of her flirty crap. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arnbjorn stroll past, blood dripping from his uniform sleeve. He looked at me and smiled. _If that mangy mutt calls me anything food related, I swear . . ._

"You're to assist Arnbjorn with some Khajit merchants." She said bluntly. I looked at her, eyes wide with shock and fist clenched. Arnbjorn stopped in the doorway, peering at me with a crooked eyebrow.

"What? Why the fuck should I work with that bastard?" I yelled. Astrid pulled her mask down and smiled at me as I turned and slammed my fist into the first thing in my vision. The wall next to Astrid's head.

"Please, no bad language. Think about Babette," Astrid purred. I swear I would kill her. I turned and stormed past a smirking Arnbjorn into the main chamber of the sanctuary. Arnbjorn walked past and started working next to his anvil, hammering away. Babette was dipping her feet into the pond next to the stairs and Veezara was sitting where he usually sat.

"Evening, lambshank." Arnbjorn said, looking up from his work. He was making new shrouded armor. Babette smiled, knowing Arnbjorn had just stepped into the lion's den.

"There's a new recruit in Astrid's line of sight, Eh, Rockjoint?" I said, glaring at him. He snarled then got back on with his work. Babette and Veezara laughed.

"So you're working with each other in the next contract, eh?" Veezara said, coughing a bit.

"Yeah, but I don't know why the awesome Shadowscale can't handle it." I smirked. Veezara laughed.

"He's getting on a bit, aren't you Veezara?" Nazir said, walking into the main chamber. "I think a few of us are. That's why we have the new one coming along."

"And who's the newbie?" I asked, sitting next to Babette andd slipping my boots off.

"The Dragonborn, I think. I'm not quite sure, Astrid is holding up on her habit of keeping things under wraps." Nazir said, stroking his chin. I hummed and dipped my feet in the water, splashing a bit. "Oh and the Night Mother is coming to the sanctuary with the Keeper."

"Oh." I said, splashing Babette. She giggled and splashed me back. "Well, that's just what we need."


End file.
